


into the water

by minouribia



Series: October Prompts [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - The Enchanted Forest, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:42:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26764525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minouribia/pseuds/minouribia
Summary: Emma meets a woman in the woods.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Series: October Prompts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950595
Comments: 4
Kudos: 46





	into the water

Silence. 

Completely, utterly, and disturbingly silent. No leaves crunching, no animals chirping, and no branches blowing in the wind. 

The prickly cold breeze doesn’t reach this far in the forest, but a different thing sends chills up her spine. A feeling in her bones, a sixth sense that something is off. 

Maybe she should’ve listened to her parents for once. These woods, this deep, dark forest that’s thicker than the coat of a tundra wolf, aren’t meant to be traveled through on foot.

Especially after dark. 

Even so, Emma continues her trek.

She’s in too deep to turn back. There's too much ground already covered, so she might as well keep going until she’s achieved what she set off to do. She has to keep moving. 

But a loose root seems to have other ideas. 

Her boot hooks under it, sending her stumbling forward into a large lake with strangely warm water. With a notable amount of effort, Emma pulls herself back to land. Her entire front side comes out soaking wet and weighing her down by a thousand pounds. 

Great. Just peachy. 

It's even more peachy when water ripples from the disruption. Not so much when doesn’t stop when it should, when it only intensifies. 

Her eyes widen, startled by the intensity when the small ripples turn into miniature waves. 

That is not normal. That’s the only thing she’s sure of right now.

In a moment, her theory is proven correct. 

Dark hair brushes the surface followed by the rest of the person - a woman dressed in a soaked gown that's torn to the point she may as well be wearing strips of seaweed. 

“What are you?” Emma whispers to herself, unable to do anything except watch the woman rise like some sort of sea goddess awakening from an eternal slumber. 

“Who are _you_?” she returns, eyes narrowing.

Gorgeous. She’s absolutely gorgeous. Even if she truly is some kind of mystic creature. 

“I’m… Swan.” 

“What are you doing in these woods? So late, no less." She steps closer, gliding through the water as if it’s the land itself. There's a sway to her step, a dangerous sensuality that could lure a fish from the sea. 

“I wanted to— It's just that, I’ve heard stories. About this forest, I mean. I wanted to—“ 

“Ah, stories.” Her laugh is gorgeous and terrifying at the same time. So silky and elegant yet jagged and feral. It shouldn’t be as enticing as it is. “Tell me, what are they writing about my woods these days?”

“Your…?” Emma shakes her head. It wouldn’t be good to disrespect her, not when she’s just met her. “Well, there’s many tales of it holding mystic properties. No one can seem to agree on what those are, though. I was curious.” 

This answer surprises the woman if the tilt of her head is anything to go by. “Ah. Things have changed.” She straightens. “Took them long enough. Now if only…” 

“What’s your name?” Emma blurts out. The woman’s head shifts towards Emma, her deep rooted suspicion returning. 

“Why do you wish to know?”

“I’d like to think we could be friends. It’s difficult to have a friendship if you don’t know the other person's name,” says Emma. Why is she trying to befriend this woman? She has no idea. 

Well, maybe she does, but it’s an idea that’s better off left alone. Forever. 

She stares at Emma for a long moment, long enough that Emma starts to doubt she’ll get any answer. “Mills,” she finally says. 

“Mills? I can’t say I’ve ever met anyone with that name before.”

“You never specified which part of my name I had to give. For now, you can simply call me Mills.”

Emma nods because fair enough. It’s not like she can demand her real name, not when Emma is using a similar alias. “Alright then. Hello, Mills.”

“Hello, Swan.” 

“Would it be rude of me to ask… why are you in a lake?” 

Mills studies her with apprehension, as if Emma's going to burst out into laughter at any moment. When it’s clear to her that she is serious, her face falls into a contemplative look. “I suppose you’re serious about that…”

“Is there any reason I wouldn’t be?” Emma frowns. 

Mills shakes her head. “No, it’s just that there were stories. Once upon a time. I suppose those have finally died down.”

“Oh, so I’m talking to a well known figure, am I?” Emma teases. 

“More of an infamous figure,” Mills returns, her mouth twisting into a dangerous grin. But Mills isn’t dangerous, Emma knows instinctively that she has no desire to harm her. 

“Even better. I’ve always liked the bad girls.” 

Mills blinks, taken aback by her statement. She recovers quickly. “Is that right?” She chuckles to herself, once again acting as if there’s some inside joke Emma is being left out of. “I suppose you’re in luck if that’s the case.” 

“Oh?”

“Yes.” Mills walks closer, never stepping out from the water. She freezes at the bank, halting suddenly. “However, there may be a slight draw back.”

“Hmm?” 

“I can’t exactly leave my lake. They don’t call me the Lady of the Lake for no reason.” 

It’s a familiar name, that’s for sure. The reason why it’s familiar escapes Emma, though. It’ll come to her later. Probably. 

If she isn’t distracted by thoughts of her face. In her defense, it’s a pretty face. 

“I think we can find ways to work around that.”

Mills stares at her once again, as if she’s a strange, strange woman. As if she’s not used to anyone not wanting her head on a stick. “You are an interesting one, Swan.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

For the first time, Mills’ lips quirk upwards. “No, I don’t think it is.”


End file.
